Aerial view of the restored ramparts and gateway of Manikgad Fort

Government Contractors · Maharashtra

NJ Kakde

Preserving the stone memory of Maharashtra through heritage and archaeological restoration and redevelopment under government contracts.

Stone temple conservation siteStone roof construction at a conservation site

About us

Builders in the service of history.

NJ Kakde is a construction firm dedicated to conserving Maharashtra's forts, temples and monuments. Based in Nagpur, we undertake heritage and archaeological restoration and redevelopment work under Maharashtra government contracts.

This site is a record of that work — shared so that people can see how their heritage is being cared for.

1985Established

What we do

Structure, stone and timber — and the craft to keep them standing.

We work where engineering meets archaeology. That means knowing where a wall can be strengthened, where a stone must simply be left alone, and how each of them was first made.

01

Design & Planning

Every site begins with study. We measure, draw and plan with the department, agreeing what a structure can safely bear before a single stone is moved.

02

Construction & Structural Works

Plinths, load-bearing walls, platforms and ramparts raised by hands that understand both engineering and archaeology — strong where strength is needed, quiet everywhere else.

03

Lime Concrete & Stone Masonry

Traditional lime concrete and dressed basalt laid the way these structures were first built, so new work moves and breathes with the old instead of fighting it.

04

Wooden Carvings

Doors, brackets, pillars and ceilings repaired or recarved by hand, matched to the original grain, motif and finish of the surviving woodwork.

05

Restoration & Conservation

Stabilising what survives rather than rebuilding what is lost: consolidating decayed stone, carefully reassembling fallen courses, and treating surfaces so a monument ages gently.

06

Documentation & Redevelopment

Measured drawings and photographic records before, during and after the work, together with pathways, drainage and visitor settings kept in harmony with the site.

Above all, the work is about preserving culture and heritage — so a fort, a temple or a carved door still tells its story to the people it belongs to.

Projects

Selected restoration work

Conservation of Manikgad Fort

Raised by the Naga rulers around the 9th century, Manikgad Fort is a remarkable record of ancient fortification and regional history. Our conservation work safeguards the surviving stone structures, documents the architectural evidence they hold, and protects the fort’s historic identity.

Aerial view of the restored ramparts and gateway of Manikgad Fort
Gateway under conservation at Manikgad Fort
Restored arched gateway with carved figures at Manikgad Fort

Restoration of Siddheshwar Temple Group

Built in the Hemadpanti style of stone architecture, the temple group is a solid masonry composition of a sabhamandapa (assembly hall), an antarala (vestibule) and a garbhagriha (sanctum).

Stone pillars at the Siddheshwar temple group
Restored stonework detail at the Siddheshwar temple group

ShivShastra Shouryagatha Exhibition — Central Museum, Nagpur

Established in 1863, Nagpur’s Central Museum — popularly known as Ajab Bangla — safeguards an invaluable collection of archaeological artefacts, art and geology. The ShivShastra Shouryagatha exhibition was mounted here.

Central Museum, Nagpur
Inauguration of the ShivShastra Shouryagatha exhibition
Arms gallery at the ShivShastra Shouryagatha exhibition
Historic shields on display at the ShivShastra Shouryagatha exhibition
Historic cannons at the Central Museum, Nagpur

Solar Light Project

At Sindkhed Raja, the historic landscape associated with Rajmata Jijabai, solar-powered illumination brings heritage appreciation and environmental responsibility together. The project improves the visitor experience after dark while keeping the lighting energy-efficient and respectful of the historic surroundings.

Solar lights installed along a heritage site pathway at night

Conservation of Delhi Wess